Students

PICT1011 – New Security Challenges

2023 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Andrew Tan
andrew.tan@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit focusses on non-traditional security threats and challenges. It introduces students to the concepts of securitization and human security. It then assesses a range of non-traditional security threats, addressing the risks and dangers associated with them, as well as discussing ways to manage them. Students will examine areas such as global terrorism, insurgencies, transnational organized crime, the international arms trade, environmental security, population and refugees, poverty and development, global health, energy security and the challenges for Australia.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Analyse non-traditional security issues that the world is facing based on a clear understanding of the breadth and depth of such issues.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate critical and empirical awareness of the complexity and diversity of security threats and risks of a non-traditional nature that the world faces.
  • ULO3: Evaluate the scholarship on key non-traditional security issues.
  • ULO4: Apply the skills in information literacy to appropriately locate, evaluate and use relevant information on non-traditional security issues.

General Assessment Information

1. READINGS

 

There are no textbooks assigned for this course. All readings are available online through Leganto (available in the right-hand block of the iLearn). If you experience any difficulty with the links in Leganto, you can search for the readings online by logging in at the Macquarie University library. Some readings are open resources available on the internet. Students are expected to read the REQUIRED readings each week as they will be tested on their understanding of both the lectures and these readings in the two online tests. The RECOMMENDED readings for each week are additional resources for your further reading. 

 

2. ENGAGEMENT/PARTICIPATION

 

Internal students must engage/participate by attending the weekly tutorials on campus.

 

External/OUA students must participate / engage in the weekly online discussion forums which open on Monday and closes on Sunday each week (note that posts after Sunday will not be read as the tutor would have moved on to the next week's discussion).

 

All students are expected to attend/engage in at least 10 tutorials/weekly discussions.

 

3. ASSESSEMENTS

 

There are 4 assessments: engagement/participation; 2 multiple-choice tests, a minor essay (consisting of an article review), and a major essay.

 

4. LECTURES

 

All lecture recordings can be found in the ECHO / ALP block on the right-hand side. Videos are also part of the lectures. All videos are found in the relevant week's topic in ilearn.

Live lectures for internal students will be held on campus (pandemic permitting and subject to health orders). These will be live-streamed and recorded (and will appear in Echo360/ALP).

 

Pre-recorded lectures are all available now through the Echo360/ALP block on the right-hand side of this iLearn. While these pre-recorded lectures are meant for OUA students, everyone is welcome to listen to them.

 

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Engagement 10% No On-going
Minor Essay 20% No Week 5 Sunday 26 March 2023
Tests 10% No By 12pm Sat 29 April (Wk 8) and by 12pm Sat 27 May (Wk 12)
Major Essay 60% No Week 10 Sunday 14 May 2023

Engagement

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: On-going
Weighting: 10%

 

Internal students are required to attend all tutorials, where engagement marks are awarded. External students are required to engage actively in the weekly online discussion forums. Engagement marks are awarded for participating in the online discussions.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse non-traditional security issues that the world is facing based on a clear understanding of the breadth and depth of such issues.
  • Demonstrate critical and empirical awareness of the complexity and diversity of security threats and risks of a non-traditional nature that the world faces.
  • Evaluate the scholarship on key non-traditional security issues.

Minor Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Week 5 Sunday 26 March 2023
Weighting: 20%

 

The purpose of this assignment is to help students develop the necessary skills in critically reviewing academic work that they read. The minor essay is a review of an academic article from the designated list of articles (marked with an asterisk * in ilearn).

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse non-traditional security issues that the world is facing based on a clear understanding of the breadth and depth of such issues.
  • Demonstrate critical and empirical awareness of the complexity and diversity of security threats and risks of a non-traditional nature that the world faces.
  • Evaluate the scholarship on key non-traditional security issues.
  • Apply the skills in information literacy to appropriately locate, evaluate and use relevant information on non-traditional security issues.

Tests

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: By 12pm Sat 29 April (Wk 8) and by 12pm Sat 27 May (Wk 12)
Weighting: 10%

 

The tests are designed to test student understanding of the lectures and assigned reading materials.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate critical and empirical awareness of the complexity and diversity of security threats and risks of a non-traditional nature that the world faces.

Major Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 10 Sunday 14 May 2023
Weighting: 60%

 

The major essay is a substantive piece of work that answers any of the tutorial questions.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse non-traditional security issues that the world is facing based on a clear understanding of the breadth and depth of such issues.
  • Demonstrate critical and empirical awareness of the complexity and diversity of security threats and risks of a non-traditional nature that the world faces.
  • Evaluate the scholarship on key non-traditional security issues.
  • Apply the skills in information literacy to appropriately locate, evaluate and use relevant information on non-traditional security issues.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Delivery and Resources

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in Ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments.
  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.
  • In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.

 

REQUIRED READINGS

  • The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.

 

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

  • Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement.
  • This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/
  • Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
  • Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at  http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/

 

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site. 
  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date.
  • Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.
  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

 

 

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.  

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

 

 

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page.
  • Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.
  • If the number of words deviates from the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words deviation from the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).
  • The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.

 

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER

 

STAFF AVAILABILITY

  • Department staff will endeavour to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period.
  • Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff.

 

Unit Schedule

Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Human Security

Week 3: Global Terrorism

Week 4: Religious Terrorism

Week 5: Civil Wars and Insurgencies

Week 6: Transnational Organised Crime

Week 7: International Arms Trade

Week 8: Environmental Security

Week 9: Poverty and Development

Week 10: Population and Refugees

Week 11: Global Health

Week 12: Energy Security

Week 13: Non-Traditional Security Challenges to Australia

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook